Bee venom injection therapy is an alternative treatment sometimes used for chronic inflammatory diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis, to reduce pain. Several chemical components of bee venom have anti-inflammatory effects, and apitoxin, one of the mixed components, has been used for pain prevention therapy. However, there have been no large-scale investigations regarding the efficacy or side effects or apitoxin. In this study, a case of serum sickness reaction that developed after receiving bee venom injection therapy is reported.
Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Bee Venoms ; Bees ; Multiple Sclerosis ; Serum Sickness ; Skin

Immune complex deposits have been found in the choroid plexus in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, and it can be assumed that an immune complex injury to the choroid plexus might be related to the neuropsychiatric disorder seen in patients with SLE. Acute serum sickness was experimentally induced in rabbits by intravenous injection of crystalized BSA. Prednisolone in conventionl dosage was administered to study the immunologic injury of the choroid plexus as well as the mechanisms involved in the prednisolone effect. Light, electron microscopic and immunofluorescent studies were made. The host immunoglobulins(IgG, IgA, IgM) and beta 1 C globulin were demonstrated in the choroid plexus. Histopathological findings included mild to moderate interstitial and perivascular lymphocyte and plasma cell infiltrations and edema. Control animals showed no immune deposits and no histopathologic changes. Electron microscopic findings comparing the immunofluorescent and histopathologic changes were minimal, and showed sparse, vague electron dense deposits particularly in the interstitial spaces, knob-like focal thickening of vascular basement membrane, swelling of endothelial cells, and some accentuation of interstitial cells. The morphologic and functional similarities of the choroid plexus and glomerular basement membrane, the findings in morphologic, electron microscopic and immunofluorescent examinations of the experimental rabbits, along with the observed effects of prednisolone, together with similar reports in the recent literature suggest that immunologic injury of the choroid plexus could be considered as a new disease entity. This immunologic injury might play a significant role in neuropsychiatric disorders in the long standing immune complex deposit diseases. The very interesting finding is the nature and function of the interstitial cell between the endothelial (vascular) and epithelial side basement membranes, and speculation as to whether or not the role of this interstitial cell in choroid plexus injury may be in its possible analogy with glomerular mesangial cells.
Acute Disease ; Animal ; Choroid Plexus/drug effects ; Choroid Plexus/immunology* ; Choroid Plexus/pathology ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic/etiology ; Prednisolone/pharmacology* ; Rabbits ; Serum Sickness/chemically induced ; Serum Sickness/complications* ; Serum Sickness/immunology

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and safety of our antivenin treatment protocol for patients with Korean Viperidae envenomation. METHODS: We developed an antivenin treatment protocol for Korean Viperidae envenomation, based on previous data, and applied this treatment to the enrolled patients. In brief, antivenin was not used for patients with grade 0. Patients with grade I and II received one vial of antivenin. Those with grade III and IV received two and three vials of antivenin, respectively. Adult patients who visited the emergency department (ED) after receiving a snakebite between July 2008 to August 2010 were included. Follow ups were performed at 24 hours, 7 days, and 28 days after the snakebite. RESULTS: A total of 62 patients were enrolled. At the initial evaluation, 6 patients (9.7%) were grade 0, 47 patients (75.8%) were grade I, and 9 patients (14.5%) were grade II. Upon the follow-up evaluation, 14 patients (29.8%) progressed from grade I to grade II and 2 patients (22.2%) progressed from grade II to III. Coagulopathy developed in 5 patients (8.0%) and rhabdomyolysis in 5 patients (8.0%). Urticaria developed in 2 patients (3.2%) and cellulitis in 3 patients (4.8%) as delayed complications. As an antivenin-related complication, serum sickness developed in only 1 patient (1.6%). There were no severe complications and all clinical and laboratory abnormalities disappeared within 28 days. CONCLUSION: Our antivenin treatment protocol was feasible and safe. To confirm our data, multicenter validation studies are needed.
Adult ; Antivenins ; Cellulitis ; Clinical Protocols ; Emergencies ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Rhabdomyolysis ; Serum Sickness ; Snake Bites ; Snake Venoms ; Urticaria ; Viperidae

Immunosuppressive therapy based on the use of antilymphocyte globulin (ALG) has become standard therapy for patients with splastic anemia who are not eligible for bone marrow transplantation. In this study, T cell subsets before and after ALG therapy, hematologic responses, complications and prognostic factors were analysed. Eleven (42%) out of twenty-six patients treated with ALG showed response, but two patients showed relapse. Most of the response (9 cases) was noticed within 6 months after the initiation of ALG therapy (median: 3 months). The main complications of ALG therapy were fever (91%), thrombocytopenia (86%), neutropenia (63%), and serum sickness (56%). Four patients were died just ALG therapy because of serum sickness (2 cases), intracranial hemorrhage (1 case), and shock (1 case). Short interval from diagnosis to treatment suggested to show good response (P=0.0575), but it was not significant statistically. Lymphocyte subsets were measured in the blood of 23 patients. Helper T/suppressor T cell ratio (T4/T8 ratio) at the initiation of ALG therapy (day 0) was higher significantly in patients who were responded (P=0.0299). The patients who showed above 1.0 of T4/T8 ratio on day 0 might be speculated good response (P=0.032). More difference of T4/T8 ratio between day 14 after ALG therapy and day 0 might show good response (P=0.0673). Then the actuarial probability of survival at 3 years in patients treated with ALG was 77%. Our data suggest that ALG therapy may be used as an alternative treatment to bone marrow transplantation, and T4/T8 ration of peripheral blood at the initiation of therapy may be used as one of the prognostic factors.
Anemia ; Anemia, Aplastic* ; Antilymphocyte Serum* ; Bone Marrow Transplantation ; Child* ; Diagnosis ; Fever ; Humans ; Intracranial Hemorrhages ; Lymphocyte Subsets ; Neutropenia ; Recurrence ; Serum Sickness ; Shock ; T-Lymphocyte Subsets ; Thrombocytopenia

OBJECTIVEImmunsuppressive therapy is a major therapy for severe aplastic anemia, and antithymocyte /antilymphocyte globulin (ATG/ALG) is usually used. This study investigated the therapeutic effect of ATG/ALG on severe aplastic anemia and explored the management of therapy-related complications.

METHODSClinical data of 28 children with severe aplastic anemia who received ATG/ALG treatment from December, 1994 through to September, 2005 were analyzed retrospectively.

RESULTSOf the 28 patients, 2 were nearly cured (7.1%), 4 were relieved (14.3%) and 12 were improved (42.9%) based on a hemoglobin/white blood cell/platelet count. These results represented an overall effective rate of 64.3%. Clinical evidence of serum sickness developed in 19 patients, manifesting as fever (n = 9), cutaneous eruptions (n = 12), arthralgias (n = 7), myalgia (n = 7) and arthrocele (n = 3). Serum sickness occurred 5-17 days after ATG/ALG administration and lasted for 1-15 days (mean 4.4 days). Three children with mild serum sickness symptoms recovered without any treatment. The symptoms of the other 16 patients disappeared after 3-5 days of methylprednisolone treatment (10 mg/kg daily). However, 3 patients had relapses at 2-4 days after termination of methylprednisolone therapy. Another course of methylprednisolone therapy was administered to the 3 patients until the symptoms disappeared. The patients with no serum sickness or with mild serum sickness had a better response to ATG/ALG therapy than those who had severe serum sickness (100% vs 60%; P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSATG/ALG therapy for severe aplastic anemia is effective. Serum sickness is a common complication in children with severe aplastic anemia following ATG/ALG therapy, but can be improved by methylprednisolone application.

Anemia, Aplastic ; drug therapy ; Antilymphocyte Serum ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Serum Sickness ; etiology ; T-Lymphocytes ; immunology

There have been few reports of manifestations such as vasculitis, nephrosis, neuritis, encephalitis, and serum sickness occuring in a temporal relation to insect stings. Symptoms usually start several days to several weeks after the sting and may last for a long time. Angioedema with eosinophilia induced by bee sting has not reported in medical literature. We report a case of eosinophilia with angioedema induced by bee venom in a 30-year-old woman whom presented with edema of extremities and peripheral blood eosinophilia. The patient had high titer of specific IgE to yellow jacket venom.
Adult ; Angioedema* ; Bee Venoms ; Bees* ; Bites and Stings* ; Edema ; Encephalitis ; Eosinophilia* ; Extremities ; Female ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin E ; Insect Bites and Stings ; Nephrosis ; Neuritis ; Serum Sickness ; Vasculitis ; Venoms ; Wasps

Anaphylaxis is the most common systemic allergic reaction caused by bee stings. Delayed-type allergic reactions, including serum sickness, occur much less frequently. We report a 27-year-old man who developed serum sickness reaction nine days after multiple bee-stings. He had complained of erythematous skin rash, fever, arthralgia, myalgia and proteinuria. High specific IgE to bee venoms (honeybee, yellow jacket, yellow hornet) were observed by CAP system and C3, C4 and circulating immune complex levels measured by C1q binding assay showed normal values. We report a case of serum sickness reaction caused by multiple bee stings.
Adult ; Anaphylaxis ; Antigen-Antibody Complex ; Arthralgia ; Bee Venoms ; Bees ; Bites and Stings ; Exanthema ; Fever ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Immunoglobulin E ; Insect Bites and Stings ; Myalgia ; Proteinuria ; Reference Values ; Serum Sickness* ; Wasps

Adolescent ; Anemia, Aplastic ; drug therapy ; immunology ; Antilymphocyte Serum ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Drug Hypersensitivity ; etiology ; Female ; Humans ; Immunosuppressive Agents ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; Infant ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Serum Sickness ; chemically induced ; T-Lymphocytes ; immunology ; Treatment Outcome